sounds like a strategy to win a primary.
Agreed. This is how you solidify a base and reach out to the fringe, it's not how you grab the undecided in the middle. Wining the WH is about getting the moderate vote, the undecided vote. He'd have a hell of a lot better shot at my vote sticking to the economy as his talking point and not patriotism and god. That's a sure way alienate me and a lot of others.
If you're focusing on patriotism (whatever that actually means) as a campaign strategy, doesn't that necessarily imply that your opponent is unpatriotic? That's reaching. All but the dumbest voters can see through the the-other-guys-not-a-real-American argument.
Remember what a big deal Obama not wearing a flag lapel pin was last election? People are idiots.